Angola launches Josefa Sacko's candidacy for FAO Director-General

The Angolan government has officially launched the candidacy of Ambassador Josefa Sacko for the position of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The announcement was made in Rome during the World Food Forum.

Sacko, an agricultural engineer and current Angolan Ambassador to Italy, is running on a platform that prioritizes family farming, women's empowerment, and youth involvement in agriculture. Her vision includes the modernization of production systems through digitalization, the use of artificial intelligence, and enhanced adaptation to climate change.

During her campaign launch, Sacko emphasized that food security challenges in the Global South must be central to international debate, noting that 60% to 70% of hunger eradication concerns are concentrated in these regions. She linked food security directly to social stability and peace, stating, “If we have food security, we have peace.”

The candidacy has received formal support from the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Sacko’s professional background includes serving as Secretary-General of the Inter-African Coffee Organization and as an African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment.